Bucket cleaner for trenching machines



July 2, 1929 c. L. GEORGE BUCKET CLEANER FOR TRENCHING MACHINES Filed De. 30, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 2, 1929 c. L. GEORGE BUCKET CLEANER FOR TRENCHING MACHINES Filed Dec. 30. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

onARLEs L. enonen or FIuntAY', oxiiqnssrenoa no THE Buckeye TRACTION;

' .mrcnnn COMPANY, OFFINIJLAYHOHIO, A conronn'rrou or OHIO.

BUCKET otnnnnn fron 'rnnncnme ACHINES.

Applicatlon filed December 1927. Serial 110.2435.

This invention relates to aybucket cleaner adaptedto be used on trenching machines, and more especially on those of the type hit-V:- ing an endless series of continuously travelling digging and conveying buckets;

The general object of the invention is to provide improved means for cleaning or scraping muck, gumbo or other sticky material from the bucket as the latter is carried past dumping position during its travel. C0- operating with this cleaning means, a device is provided, which permits the cleaner to swing inwardly out of the way ofthe bucket when it meets with an unusual obstruction, which would otherwise be apt to cause damage to the machine.

The specific construction of the invention, together with the objects and advantages thereof, will be more particularly explained in the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment thereof. In the drawingsi i d v t Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the rear portion of a trenching machine with the bucket cleaner secured in operative position thereon,a portion of thehousing being broken "away to illustrate more clearly the interior construction of the cleaner. 1 i Fig. 2 is a detail sectional viewitakenon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i i 1 Fig.3 is a rear "end view of the cleaner and the adjacent portion of the niachine.

Fig. 4 is a sectiontaken approximately on the lin'e4-4; of Fig. 3. i j y The trenching .Inachine wit-liwliiel the bucket cleaner is used comprises alrearwardly and upwardly extendingbeam or framework 6 atthe rear end of which a; transverse shaft 7 is journaled. The shaft "7 [is driven bylneans of a sprocket wheel 8 secured centrally thereof, and a sprocket chain9 cngages the sprocket wheel 8 andisfdri'ven by any suitable means. Wheels. 10 oiisiiitable construction are secured to the shaft 7 near the end thereof andover these wheels 10 pass conveyor chains 11. Digging and conveying buckets 12 are secured to certainlinks of the chains 11 at suitably spaced intervals. I These buckets are otwell known construction and areadapted to dig into the ground as they reach the lowermost part of their orbitandto dump rearwardly they are icarriedabout the rear wheels 10.

Brackets13 are securedto the rear end of the beam 6 and are formed with hearing boxes for the shafti'; A castingld is secured for longitudinal adjustment on the brackets 13 by means of boltand slot connections 15 and constitutes a support andhousing "forthe bucket cleaning device which constitutesthe subject matter or the invention. 3

The bucket cleaner comprises a plurality of spring 16 each inadeup of a plurality of leaves firmly secured togetherand mounted within a clip 17 which is pivoted at 18 to the rear portion of the casting 14. The leaves of each spring are curved outwardly at their rear ends shown at 19,"andeach successive leaf is a little longer than the onebehind it.

The several springs are so arrangedthat they will scrape thebottonrof each bucket l2as itpasses about the wheel 10, leaving the bucket comparatively clean. The springs are sepawithin the housing;

Theleaves of thesprings are comparatively rated from each other by flanges 20 formed struction is encountered. For this purpose each spring lfi rests atits forward end on a roller 21 mountedin the forked end 22 of a clevis 23 whichextends longitudinally of the housing 14 and is longitudinally slidable therein. The forked portion 22 of the clevis issupported by links 24 from a'pivot pin 25 extending transversely of thehousing while the extremity of the clevis ste1n23 proj ects out of the housing and is supported by links 26 fromapivot'pin27 mounted infan ear 28 formed on the outside of the housing A stiff coil spring 29 surroundingthe stem of the eleyis 23-bears against the shoulder of the ,forked portion 22 ofthe clevis and normally holds theroller 21 projected as far as possible beneath the front end oft-he spring. The

rearward movementof the clevis is limited by the engagement of. the linksu26 with 30 formed on the outside of the housingflThe shaped cover 31 secured theretoby screws or the like so that the spring 29 isprotected against dirt and mud. a

Thefront end of each springwhich normallower side of the housing is closed by a U- i 7 1y rests corresponding. roller 21 is rounded, as at 32, and the distance of this rounded face from the pivot 18 is slightly less than'the distance of the center of the roller'21.

from this pivoti As'a consequence, when an unyielding ob ect engages the curved end 19 of the spring, exertlng an'excessive force tending to swing the spring about the pivot 18, the pressure exertedby the rounded face 32 against the roller 21 is in a line slightly to the rear oftheaxisof the roller, and when this 7 pressure is sufficiently great the resistance of the spring 29 will be overcome, the clevis and the 1oller21 will be forced forwardly and the spring 16 will be released, The c'levis 23 and roller 21 may therefore be regarded as a spring held latch which normally holds the cleaner-in theposition-shown, but automati- 7 'cally releases the same when'an nnyielding obstruction iszencountered. At such time, the curved end-19, will be permitted to swing inwardly and relievethe strain This will preventbreakage,ofithe cleaner, and as soon asthebucketpassesbeyond thespring 16 the lattermay be manuallyreturned to its normal position. 1

From the'foregoingidescription it will be observedthati collectively the springs 16 come in;close proximity to all partsof the interior fsur-face of eachbucket as itpasses dumping position. It make s'no difference therefore ing the surface of the bucket comparatively clean: The cleaner-therefore is absolutely .positive in its action, with the singleexception that when a condition ariseswhichwould otherwise cause. damage to the machine, the

spring scraperiis automatically released. It

may; however, be manually restored ;to "normalposition immediately thereafter andthe 1 ,The combinationwith a series of travelling -buckets, fiof one' or more leaf springs, each comprising; a plurality of leaves bound .Ldigging'ope'ration may be continuedwithout anyappreciable interruption.

i v W'hile I'have shown'and described in tail-what appears at present tobe the most desirable embodiment of the invention, it is,

1 of course,to be unde'rstoodthat various modi- .gfications'may be made therein without departing materially from the scope of the ap- :pended;claims.-i ,"WhatIclaimisr, Y

. together and. having oneend free, with the I free'extremityof each successive leaf projectingbeyond the preceding leaf, and means @including a resiliently'held latch member for @normallyholding thesame in such a position 7 that the free extremity .ofthe longest leaf gz passes through each bucket during the travel a? gbottom of said bucket.-

thereof and comes into" close proximity to the 2. The combination with a series travelling buckets, of one or more leaf SPllI'lgS, each comprising a plurality of leaves curved outwardly at one end, said end being free, and means including a resiliently held latch member for normally holding the spring .in such a position that its outwardly curved free extremity comes into close proximity to the interior surface of each bucket during the travel thereof.

3. The combination with a series of travelling buckets, of one or more leaf springs, each comprising a plurality of leaves bound together and curved outwardly at one end, said end being free with the outwardly curved extremity of each successive leaf projecting beyond the preceding leaf, and means including a resiliently held latch member normally holding the spring in such a position that the curved extremity of the longest leaf comes into close proximity to the interior surface of each bucket during the travel thereof.

4. The combination with a series of travel ling buckets, of one or more cleaning members, each comprising a spring having a plurality of leaves bound together, with the extremity of each successive leaf projecting beyond the preceding leaf, means normally holding said member in such a position that the extremity of the longest leaf comes into close proximity to the interior surface of each bucket during the travel thereof, and a spring normally controlling'the position of said holdingmeans and automatically yieldable to permit the holding means to release the cleaning member so that the latter may swing freely away from the bucket, when struckby an unyielding object.

5. The combination with a'series of travelling buckets, of one or more cleaning members, each comprising a spring having a plurality of leaves bound together and curved "outwardly at one end, means normally holding said member in such a position that its outwardly curved extremity comes into close proximity to the interior surface of each bucket during the travel thereof, and a rspring normally controlling the position of said holding means and automatically yieldable to permit the holding means to release thecleaning member so that the latter may swing freely away from the bucket, when struck by an unyielding object.

6. The combination with a series of travelling buckets, of-one or more cleaning members, each comprising a spring having a plurality of leaves bound together and curved outwardly at one end, with the curved extremity of each successive leaf projecting beyond the preceding leaf, means nornnally holding the cleaning member in such a position that the curved extremity of the longest leaf comes into close proximity to the interior. surface of a bucket during the travel thereof, and a spring normally controlling the position of said holding means and automatically yieldable to permit the holding means to release the cleaning member so that the latter may swing freely out of operative relation to said bucket, when struck by an unyielding object. 7

7 The combination with a series of travelling buckets, of a cleaning member comprising a spring having a plurality of leaves, said spring being pivotally supported intermediateitsends,holding means for said spring, a spindle on which the holding means is mounted, parallel links supporting the spindle, and resilient means acting against said holding means to cause the latter to normally engage and hold one end of the leaf spring in a fixed position while the other end projects into close proximity to the interior of each bucket during the travel thereof, said resilient means being automatically yieldable to release the cleaning member and permit it to swing freely about its pivot when struck by an unyielding object.

8. In a bucket cleaner, the combination of a longitudinally disposed intermediately pivoted bucket cleaning member, a latch menu ber, parallel links supporting said latch member, yieldable means normally projecting said latch member partially beneath one end of said cleaning member to hold it against movement about its pivot, said end of the cleaning member being rounded and so disposed as to exert pressure obliquely against the end of thelatch member, tending to force back the latch member and release said cleaning member when an unyielding object encounters the other end of the said cleaning member.

9. In a bucket cleaner, a support, a member pivoted between its ends to said support with one end bearing against the support and hav ing a rounded face, a latch member, parallel links supporting said latch member, yieldable means acting on said latch member to project one end thereof in front of the rounded face of the pivoted member to hold the latter in its normal position against said support, said rounded face being so disposed as to exert pressure tending to retract the latch and release the pivoted member when an unyielding object encounters the other end of said pivoted member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES L. GEORGE. 

